Recalled to the Light
by Sophia-the-fangirl
Summary: Basically a ton of different time period AU's in chronological order with story arcs connecting them. I genderbent some characters because why not (it won't be hard to pick up on, you'll get it I promise). T for language and maybe violence.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

How many years has it been? She couldn't remember anymore. The years ran by, and still nobody had returned. It had been too long, too long to remember many of her friends that had died long ago.

Thank god she found them again.

For Merlin, Henry VIII was a lame king. For some reason Arthur came back as an advisor, one of the king's closest. His former half brother, Morgan, was also an advisor to the king, but he was surprisingly less violent than he once was. Lancelot was the third advisor Merlin knew, and he was by far the most level-headed. When King Henry announced he was going to marry Anne it was Lance who kept the other two in line.

Thank god he did, too. Recently, Henry made it known that his advisors had to renounce the Pope and Rome. This was a huge shock to everyone, servants included, but if they didn't do as the king commanded, they'd all be killed.

Most of this news Merlin heard through other servants. She remembered quite a few of them as former Knights, but of course none of the other girls would remember that happened so long ago. They hadn't changed a bit.

This morning was no different, really. The girls gossiped while getting ready for the day.

"So what'll happen if they don't sign? He won't really kill them, will he?" Glorianna asked absentmindedly.

"Of course he will! You heard about Sir Thomas More." Eleanor waved a comb at her friend as if to recall the whole incident.

"I heard that was all a ruse, that he's just testing them." Leon added to the conversation.

"That's the worst theory I've ever heard!"

It was mindless chatter between the servants. As usual, Merlin was mostly listening while making sly comments with Gwen, one of the king's main servants. Thankfully, Merlin was Arthur's servant again. She felt relieved almost every time one of the other girls complained about their advisor and how "demanding" or "strange" they were.

Finally Gwen reminded the other girls that they actually had jobs to attend to, "Alright, let's get a move on! Victoria, do not splash your tray, it looks horrendous. Eleanor, please do not try to carry everything with one hand again. And, Glorianna, why on earth haven't you left for the Lady Morgouse's room yet?!"

Glorianna looked around the small, almost empty room, confused. "I usually walk there with Moria. Where'd she go?"

Merlin stepped in. "Sir Morgan's been getting up earlier and earlier lately. Moria's already there."

Glorianna nodded quickly and popped out of the room.

Gwen smoothed out her dress and picked up her tray. "I'll see you later, Merlin. Good luck with Arthur."

"Thanks." The two left for their respective rooms.

To her surprise, Arthur was already awake and writing at his desk.

"Good morning, Sir," Merlin set the tray on the table. "Forgive me, I did not know you were already awake."

"Good morning, Merlin. It's quite alright, I just couldn't sleep." Arthur waves his hand as if to dispel the matter.

"Feeling ill, Sir?"

"Physically, no. Mentally, a little bit." The advisor begins pacing behind his desk. "You know the girl who has to take prisoners to be executed, right?"

She nods quickly. "Yes Sir. She doubles as Sir Morgan's servant."

"Tell me, Merlin, how many people were executed this past week?"

Merlin pauses, trying to remember all the people. "Around ten, I believe."

He sighs. "And I fear more executions will take place this week. This whole kingdom is being ripped apart. Warn the servants, will you? Tell them to tread lightly; I don't want any of them to die for our ridiculous squabble."

She nods again, then curtsies. "Yes, of course, Sir. Will that be all?"

"Yes, thank you."

Merlin had a break before she had to go back and assist Arthur every day when almost no one else did, so she usually talked to Moria. To say they didn't like each other in the last life would have been a huge understatement. In fact, it took Merlin a while to remind herself to not punch Moria in the face every time they saw each other. For some weird reason, however, they got along pretty well this time around. Merlin suspected it was because Moria had no reason to hate Arthur or want to kill him.

Today all they could talk about was the executions.

"Arthur warned me about servants being executed this morning. He suspected a lot of people would die this week."

"It looks like he's right, so far," Moria lowered her voice. "we've got one today, even. The girl couldn't keep her mouth shut about her opinions on the new queen, so her head's gone."

Merlin shook her head. "The underground execution sounds like a horrible way to go."

"Trust me, it is. All the doomed people want us to hear their official last words. They're usually horrible last words, too."

"Really? Like what?"

"Well, this one guy last week told us that for his dying request he wanted to hold a gold bar. Surprisingly, not an uncommon request. So Kaleb gives him a small one that we keep down there for that reason, and then this guy just throws it back at him!"

Merlin makes a confused face. "Why would he do that?"

"All he said was 'don't lose gold once you have it, boy'. And then he just walks into that horrid room with the utmost confidence and dies." Moria starts laughing a bit at the end of her story. Merlin doesn't join in.

"How is that funny? Those are a dead man's words."

"When you've been around the dead as long as I have, you learn to laugh at the little things."

Just then Kaleb, the servant that takes people to the underground execution room with Moria, pops in to the room.

"Hey, we gotta go, the execution's in ten minutes."

"Okay," she replies, almost cheery. "I'll be there soon."

He responds with a wink and disappears.

Merlin looks from the empty doorframe, to her friend, back to the doorframe. "Is there something going on between you two?"

Moria feigns surprise. "Why would you ever suggest such a thing?"

She shook her head and left after her friend had gone to execute the girl. One her way out, however, Merlin accidentally ran into Frederick, who then dropped the bucket of towels he was carrying.

"Oh gosh! Sorry, let me help." She immediately started refolding the towels with him.

"S'okay," he smiled a bit. "Never minded running into you anyway."

She blushes. Frederick was around in the other life, but not for long. When he was there, however, they were almost a thing.

The two finished clearing the hallway of the mess. "Thanks."

"No problem." She smiled.

"Uhm, so, some of the other servants told me that it's kind of nice to take walks in the gardens after dark when everyone is asleep. A lot of them like to go out and I was wondering if-"

"Yes. I-uh, I mean, I'd love to. Tonight?"

"If you'd like."

"Alright."

Morgan and Lance were debating with Arthur by the time Merlin got back.

"All I'm saying is if we don't want to lose our heads-"

"I don't care if I lose my head, Morgan. What will God say about us turning our backs on the Pope himself?" Lance interjected.

Morgan sighed heavily. "Will God be that upset if we make a minor religion change? It's the same God, for God's sake!"

Arthur stepped in. "Perhaps we should talk more after dinner. We need time to calm down and think about what we value more as officials."

Lance nodded. He made a nondescript waving motion to Victoria, who had been standing in a corner, and she promptly followed him out of the room.

With Lance gone, there were only four people left in the room, two of them being court officials. Morgan beckoned for the two servant girls, his eyes still fixed on Arthur. "Moria, Merlin," he began in an icy tone. "how many have died so far in the underground execution room alone?"

"I don't count the bodies, sir." Merlin replied quickly.

"Fifty-seven, I think." Moria looked a bit restless.

Morgan nodded slowly. "Right. A lot of these people being executed right under our feet are servants, too. People we trust and work with. We know they're doing no wrong. Yet here they are, dying."

"I understand that, but-" Arthur protested.

"But we shouldn't have to kill our own. Listen, this isn't a matter of religion, but rather a matter of politics. The sooner we square this whole thing away, the better. Just think about it." With that, Morgan snaps for Moria to follow him as he leaves the room.

Arthur watches his fellow advisor leave. "His heart's in the right place, I know it is. I just can't see a way to convince both him and Lance that there can be a compromise."

"You'll figure something out, sir," Merlin reassured him. "In my opinion. you're the wisest advisor here."

He laughs a bit and pats her on the shoulder. "Thank you, Merlin."

Just the Lady Morgouse burst through the door, unannounced. Gloriana trailed in behind her with much less flair. But when you're the former consort of the king, you could pretty much do anything unannounced.

"Arthur, dear, tell me the rumors aren't so!" She feigned shock and fell stylishly onto the loveseat.

Arthur sighed, clearly done with Morgouse already. "What rumors, dear Lady, plague you this week?"

Sitting up perfectly straight, she began her little story. "Well, I heard the king was seeing women on the side without Anne's knowing. But since he hadn't seen me in quite a while, I did some snooping through servants. Would you believe me if I told you he was attempting to seduce his servants?"

Glorianna shot a look at Merlin that basically screamed "this lady is venomous". Of course Morgouse's stories were almost never true, but she could tell them like they were.

"Well, I never thought I'd see the day a man rejects you!" Arthur indulged her momentarily.

"Other than you, of course."

"RIght, right, other than me. If you'd excuse me, dear Lady, I must away to the library."

Morgouse, satisfied with Arthur's response, flounced away. Once she was gone Arthur pulled Merlin close to him by her arm. "Talk to the other servants for me, will you? Make sure this little story isn't true."

"Alright," she replied uneasily. "But usually her stories are never true. Why check now?"

"I don't know, I just have this feeling. Talk to Gwen, make sure she's okay."

Merlin nodded. It was only a matter of time before Arthur's feelings for Gwen appeared again.

After the servants were relieved of their duties for the day, Merlin took Gwen aside.

"Arthur heard a rumor that the king was trying to make advances on his servants. You're not in any danger, are you?"  
Gwen made a face. "He has been acting weirdly lately, but I'll be fine. Why does Arthur care so much about me?" She smiled.

Merlin shrugged in response. "If anything happens let me know, okay?"

Gwen nodded and left for bed.

Merlin found Frederick near a rosebush. "They're pretty, but there's a lot of thorns," he commented casually. "makes them hard for picking."

"Even if we could pick them, thornbushes are unkind to fingers. Even if they have pretty flowers." she replied, and he smiled.

They walked leisurely around the grounds, chatting lightly about different topics they knew about. One time Merlin thought they passed Moria and Kaleb, but they were speaking in forced whispers, almost like they were arguing about something. Frederick saw the scene and suddenly looked uneasy.

"Are you okay? I'm sure they'll work it out." she waved towards the less-than-happy couple.

"It's-it's not that. I do know why they're both so upset, though. God, I just wanted to wait longer to tell you." He nervously runs a hand through his hair.

"Tell me what? What's wrong?"

He leads her to a more secluded area of the grounds. "So, there's no easy way to say this: we got in a bad way. Kaleb and I, we were talking about the king, and what we thought of it, and someone overheard us. We're- we're in a bad way, Merlin. They're supposed to take us to the underground room later tonight."

She stood there in shock for a minute, and it clearly showed on her face. "I- I just wish I got more time with you, but… but I guess this is how it has to go."

Without warning, Merlin rushed forward and hugged him. "It's not right," she lamented quietly. "It's not right."

Most of the servants had already gone to bed by the time Moria got back from the underground room. Merlin had offered to go with her, but she declined, simply saying "this is my job". Merlin was waiting outside of the servants room for her, the night smelling of too-sweet roses and blood.

Her friend returned with the weight of the world showing on her face. "They didn't let me in," Moria said quietly. "I heard the blade twice, and still they didn't let me in."

Merlin said nothing, shock still settling. Her friend sat down on the cold floor with her back against the wall, racked with sobs. "It's not right."

"No," Merlin replied in a quiet voice. "It's not."

Although neither of them felt like it, the two girls had to go back to work the next morning. Morgan and Arthur had taken up early morning discussions lately, so Merlin was still waking up when Arthur confessed.

"I've tried to stay in the King's good graces without denying my faith," he confides in Morgan. "I'm not happy about this, but I did discover two servants blaspheming the King yesterday."

Merlin abruptly stops folding one of Arthur's shirts. Moria, who had been preparing their morning tea, freezes, cup suspended in her hand.

Morgan seems to notice the girls' sudden interest. "Um, Arthur, did you know these two servants?"

"I'd never seen them before. They were two young men, couldn't be over Merlin's age." He looks repentant.

Suddenly the cup Moria had been holding seems to shatter in midair. She quickly collects the pieces. "I am so sorry, sir. Let me fetch another one." She curtsies and exits quickly.

Uh-oh. Merlin recognized this as the part where everything fell to pieces, much like that teacup.

Fabricating a piece to match the others, Merlin makes her excuses to give it to her friend and leaves to catch up with her.

She finds Moria in the kitchen, alone, staring forlornly at the once-broken cup. Merlin hands her the extra piece to let her know she was there.

"Thanks," she absentmindedly reconstructs the now-perfect teacup. "It was chipped anyway."

"I know what you're thinking," Merlin started cautiously. "and I just want to remind you of one thing: It won't bring them back."

Slowly, Moria turns to face her friend. While Merlin thought she'd start crying again, another emotion had replaced sadness: a cold, bitter hatred seemed to radiate into the morning air. "Would you mind taking this cup back to Arthur? I have to go talk to someone."

Merlin turns as Moria quietly leaves the kitchen. "Wait- who?"

"Don't worry about it."

When she returned, Lance had joined the discussion.

The three were in the middle of a contemplative silence until Arthur saw his servant.

"Merlin," he nervously runs a hand through his hair. "Did Gwen ever tell you if she was alright or not?"

While Merlin shugs, Victoria pipes up. "Excuse me, sir, but did you mean the King? Gwen's told me that he's made advances on all the girls, herself included."

Arthur firmly hits his fist on the table. "I knew it. I knew he couldn't stay true to his own word!"  
Morgan steps toward him. "Be careful what you say, please, you could-"  
"No, Morgan, I don't care anymore. The King is no better than those he's executed!"

Morgan shoots Lance a look. "We all need to simmer down. Let's reconvene later."  
Arthur walks back to his desk as Morgan leaves uneasily. Victoria let, expecting Lance to follow, but he quickly grabbed Merlin by the arm and spoke quietly to her.

"I can't say much right now," He sounded scared. "but I had a strange dream that I think might be reality. Arthur rose once, he will rise again past this time. I know you know, Emrys."

He quickly turned and left, leaving Merlin shaking in her boots.

The guards came for Arthur around lunchtime.

They had already gotten Morgan and Lance, as per request of Lady Morgouse. Victoria and Glorianna stopped Merlin from rushing to Arthur's side to defend him.

"I'm so sorry for what the Lady is doing," Glorianna pleaded. "She thinks it is what's right."

Victoria spoke on Merlin's behalf, seeing how her friend was too upset to ask questions. "How did she know Arthur said anything bad? How did she know either of the other two said anything bad?"

Glorianna shook her head in disbelief. "I saw Moria talking to her earlier today. I think she might've told her, but I don't know anything for sure."

Suddenly, everything around Merlin froze. She was certain it wasn't her magic doing it, and nobody else could conjure enough magic to sustain a total freeze. Lance walked out of Arthur's room, more confused than Merlin was.

"What's going on?" he asked, astounded.

She made a face, then looked at her frozen friends around her. "I think because Arthur's about to die, there's no point in the story continuing. They'll all be erased and moved to a different time."

As soon as she said it, everyone vanished. The halls were empty, almost eerily quiet.

"Now what?"  
"I suggest we get out of here. We need to move on, wait for them to come again."

Lance smiled at her. "You want me to join you?"

"Of course," she smiled back. "Last time I had to do this alone. Now I have a friend."

He nodded. "Okay, let's get out of here."

How many years has it been? A lot, that's for sure.

Merlin didn't mind as much this time, however. She traveled around with Lance, usually posing as his sister. They waited anxiously for their friends to return for over 200 years. They even moved to a new country when it was discovered and colonized by Great Britain.

One morning, in the city of Boston, Merlin bumped into a familiar stranger, literally.

"Oh! Sorry," the familiar stranger helped Merlin collect the things she'd dropped. "I'm Gwen."

She couldn't believe it.

They'd found them again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Tensions between the colonies and Great Britain had recently exploded, causing a great war to erupt. Boston was always in-the-know about the battles, because so many secret organizations had found refuge there.

The Round Table was one of those many organizations. After Merlin had run into Gwen she had learned about Arthur's pro-revolution group. She and Lance had joined with a solid story: They were born in the colonies but their parents were from France, and they used the surname du Lac. The others had accepted it and welcomed them into the group.

Unfortunately, Morgan and Arthur were not as friendly as they were before. In fact, Morgan led a different secret organization known as the King's Sorcerers. If the name didn't already give it away, all of their members had magic, yet supported the King regardless. Thankfully, not many people believed in magic anymore, so the Round Table only hated them for supporting the King. Merlin mostly hated them because most (if not all) of their members had tried to kill Arthur in previous situations.

One morning, right before a meeting with the Round Table, Merlin caught Lance staring in the mirror.

"Did this happen to you last time?" He asked, turning around to face her. "All these years, and we haven't changed. Why is that?"

She shook her head. "I still don't know why it happened to you. Maybe the event of your death slipped through a crack in the universe, or something. In any case, no man can kill you now."

"Does that include myself?"

"Trust me, Lance, you can't kill yourself now."

The meeting was abuzz with news of the war. Lance had excused himself to talk to Gwen (he still wasn't over her) while Merlin talked excitedly with Eleanor and Leon.

"Didja hear the news? King George is sending over a new kind of weapon to wipe us all out!" Leon gossipped, fixing a pin in her hair.

"Richelle, if that isn't the dumbest thing I've ever heard, I don't know what is." Eleanor retorted.

"Yeah. If anything, he'll send over a new, exotic tea with a bigger tax." Merlin commented.

Leon folded her arms indignantly. "I never said it wouldn't be tea!"

Just then Arthur tapped a knife on his glas, silencing the group. In his hand he held a rolled-up piece of parchment tied with a black bow.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he began in an authoritative voice. "I have here a letter from the King's Sorcerers. Or, to be more accurate, an ultimatum."

This elicits an uproar of general unhappiness from the entire organization. Arthur taps his glass again. "They warn us here. It reads: 'if you do not agree to the terms stated above, more blood will be shed than necessary'. They think we are cowards! They think we will comply to their Loyalist demands! What would General Washington say?"

The group starts to talk again, but more loudly. Angry voices overlap as Arthur somehow talks over them.

"What do we say?!"

Glorianna stood up from across the room. "We are anything but cowards!"

Lance raises his glass. "There is no crime in fighting for what we believe in!"

Others follow suit in raising their glasses as Arthur smiles and nods. "So be it." He tosses the paper to Gwen, who throws it into the fireplace. "Let the blood shed!"

The organization erupted into its usual merriment, signaling the end of the more structured portion. Most of the members usually stayed hours after to drink and swap stories.

Merlin and Gwen started talking to Lance about what exactly was in the ultimatum.

"Crazy requests," he shook his head. "Arthur let me read it the other day. Morgan sure knows what he wants, and he can rally his people behind it. But it's a good thing that they sent us that, right?"

"How so?" Gwen sounded confused.

Arthur joined the small conversation. "It means we're a threat to them. If they didn't care we wouldn't be getting threats."  
"A threat is still a threat." Merlin reminds him.

"That's true, but that's also attention," he sits. "If we could just figure out what's running through Morgan's funny little mind it'd be so much easier to destroy his group."

Lance nonchalantly shrugs. "If you had an inside man, maybe you could find that information."  
This suggestion brings Arthur to his feet again. "Lance, are you volunteering to infiltrate Morgan's system?"

"Wha- me?! Oh no, I was talking about my sister," He pats Merlin on the shoulder. "She'd be perfect for this, wouldn't ya, sis?"

Something in Lance's eyes caught her attention. He was off-handedly telling her that this was her chance to take down Morgan and his men before they hurt anyone.

"Uh, yeah, I'd love to infiltrate." Merlin nervously replied.

Arthur gave her a quick hug. "I can't thank you enough for doing this for us. Keep it a secret though, would you? I don't want your cover to be blown."

"Yeah, of course."

Gwen clapped in excitement. "Perfect! I know where their headquarters is located, you could go there right now!"

On the other side of town, Merlin cautiously knocked on a large wooden door. It heavily swung open to reveal a familiar-looking girl who dressed better than when she last saw her.

"Do you have an appointment?" she half-smirked. Why did all the bad guys smirk? Merlin wondered if that was something Morgan taught in this little club.

"I'm, uh, newer in town, and I heard this was the King's Sorcerers, led by a man named Morgan?"  
The girl nodded, all traces of a facial expression gone. "Uh-huh. You want in?"

"Yeah, I do," Merlin exhaled. "I thought it'd be difficult to join."  
"Oh, I didn't say you were in yet," the girl leans on the door frame. "There's a certain, well, a certain skill set required for this group. Do you understand what I mean when I say 'skill set'?"

Merlin tilts her head slightly but nods. "You mean like this?" She opens her hand to reveal icy tendrils shooting up into the sky.

In return the girl opens her hand and makes fire dance around the street. A perfect juxtaposition. "Come in, then. I'll tell Morgan you're here. What did you say your name was?" She seemed a lot more friendly.

"Merlin du Lac." She extended her hand, finding it odd to use Lance's last name.

The girl accepted the gesture. "I'm Moria. Don't worry about last names, they aren't that important here."

Moria leads Merlin down a long hallway to a library filled with quiet chatter. She sees Morgan almost instantly; he seems at ease with the rest of his friends. The girl approaches him and says a few quick sentences, the smirk back. He nods and stands to meet Merlin.

"So," he boldly shakes her hand. "you heard about us and wanted to check it out, is that correct? I'm Morgan, I lead this proud group."

She tries her best to sound genuine. "That's exactly right. I heard on the street that you guys were purely sorcerers who supported the king, so I thought I'd see what was what."

Morgan flashes a dazzling smile at his group. Merlin can see why everyone likes him. "Yes, well, the king has been very accommodating to those with magic over the years. We know that if a new government is formed over here, we run the risk of being persecuted."

"Like our fathers before us." Morgouse, who Merlin didn't notice before, calls from the corner of the library.

There are a few sounds of agreement before Morgan starts again. "Precisely. Now, there is a rival organization that wishes to spill blood over this matter, the Round Table. They think we are cowards!"

The group begins to make more noise in protest.

"They think it's a crime for us to fight for what we believe in!" He continues, more animated than before. "And to that, we say: so be it! Let the games commence!"

Instead of cheering, like the Round Table, this group claps politely as Morgan turns back to Merlin.

"Wow. You guys are about more than what you were given credit for." She manages, unnerved by how similar that speech was to Arthur's.

"And we're about to get more credit," Moria pops up between them. "Tomorrow we'll really make a statement for those Revolutionaries and their reckless ideals!"

Merlin looks between the two. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well," Morgan pauses, as though he were trying to find a way to say something with the utmost poise. "We have been challenged for a fight of sorts tomorrow night. Arthur- that's the leader of the Round Table- he thinks the best way to solve this is with blood. I can't say I don't agree, but it is a little unfair that we have superior weapons."

She raises her eyebrows at the two Loyalists, who were both smirking. "You'd use magic against them?"

"We have to defend ourselves, Merlin," Moria states plainly. "We're victims of circumstance, it's not like we have a choice here."

Merlin strolled with Arthur through the town later that day. The duo were trying to look as inconspicuous as possible in the fading sunlight.

"How'd the meeting with Morgan go?" He finally asked after a few minutes of polite conversation.

She sighed. "Unfortunately, I can understand their side of the argument. The King has been good to people like them- people like me. They fear a new order where they could be hurt."

"What do you mean 'people like you'?" Arthur asked with a confused expression.

Going against her better judgement, Merlin pulls Arthur into an alleyway. "I won't hurt you, I promise, it's just that we can't really show this stuff to the public."

"What the hell are you talking about?" He bewilderedly exclaimed.

"I'm talking about… Magic. All the Loyalists in Morgan's group have it, and I have it."

Arthur pauses for a moment, then begins to chuckle. "Very funny, Merlin. Magic isn't real."

"Oh really? Look," She pulled two wooden soldiers out of her pocket. Swiftly she animated them, and they started dueling. The small wooden rifles made poofing noises as the pair played war. "I'm not lying to you. People like me- like Morgan, or any of his group- we can do things like this, but on a much larger scale."

His gaze alternated from Merlin to the soldiers, showing pure amazement. "Were you born with that ability?"

"It's the only way you could," She nods at the toys, and they become still. "Anyway, at this meeting, Morgan and one of his people- she's basically his right arm- they told me that they were going to use magic against you in the upcoming fight."

"What? They can't do that!"

"I'm afraid they can, so we need to find a way to stop them."

Arthur led Merlin out of the alley and into the street. "You could use magic against Morgan, couldn't you?"

"Against just Morgan, or just one of his men? Sure, that'd be no problem. But there were a lot of people at that meeting, Arthur. They're as many as us." She shakes her head, thinking of a way to stop Morgan and save Arthur.

He half-smiles. "That's one-on-one, we can take them! We've got rifles and swords to match their fancy hand motions and spells, that'll work! Won't it?" His last question showed more doubt than Merlin wanted to hear.

"Go round up the gang, quickly. I think we should attack tonight. I saw a Loyalist watching us; I'm gonna go find him." She says quietly, nodding around the corner.

Arthur grins and turns sharply on his heel towards the headquarters.

Quietly and quickly, Merlin rounds the corner at the end of the street. Just a few moments ago she saw one of Morgan's men take this route, and she worried he had seen them.

In a doorframe she sees two figures talking rapidly, small spurts of magic randomly shooting from their general direction. Upon closer inspection she notices Frederick, someone she had cared about before. Was he really on Morgan's side? The other person wore a hooded cloak, but was unmistakably a girl.

Merlin creeps closer to the duo, trying to overhear their conversation.

"...and as if it weren't bad enough, I found out that Arthur has a du Lac in his midst. His name's Lance, and I think that little traitor is his sister." Frederik was saying. "Can magic skip siblings?"

"Magic does as it pleases, there are no real rules. That's why so many men fear it." The girl replied. Her voice was familiar. Merlin knew who it was, but…

Just then Frederick and the other person noticed Merlin standing nearby. She uncomfortably waved and walked towards them. "Lovely sunset, isn't it?"

The girl took off her hood, already smirking again. "Frederick, would you start back without me? I'll catch up."

He nodded quickly and walked off.

Moria watched him leave, then slowly turned back to Merlin. "So you've got a brother?"

"Listen, I can understand both sides of the debate, really I can. Lance had me join the same side he joined, regardless of my opinions. I wanted to see what you guys thought, and I agree with both sides a bit." Merlin replied, hoping she'd take the bait.

"Oh really," She threateningly began. "Is that why you were telling Arthur all about magic, or about our plans for him, or did Lance want that for you too?" Moria created a small map of previous battles in the dirt with a flick of her wrist. "I've had friends die here, here, and here. My boyfriend died a few weeks ago fighting for the King here. And tonight, your little cause will die here." A blood-red X fell over where Boston should be.

Merlin stepped back, noting the map. "I understand, okay? I know what it's like to lose everyone. But killing more people won't bring the dead ones back."

She looked back at the dirt map to see nothing but dust.

"Morgan will be so disappointed in you. What's worse, he'll be mad at me." Moria jumped on another train of thought, worried.

"Then don't tell him you know." She looked at Merlin with confusion. "You and Frederick keep this secret, I'll take the blame for treason, and you two stay out of trouble."

She folded her arms. "Why should I trust you?"

"Why indeed," Merlin began to walk away. "Have a nice night. I'll see you soon, actually."

The gang was rounded up quickly and made their way towards the Loyalists' meeting place. To their dismay, however, one of Morgan's scouts spotted them, and told his superiors so. They were waiting for Arthur and his people on the corner of the meeting house.

Morgan was at the front of the small mob. "Hello Arthur. Lovely night, isn't it?"

Arthur's hand went instinctively to his rifle. "I heard you were going to use magic against us."

"Now how would you have- oh my," He noticed Merlin standing by Gwen. "What a shock this is. Frederick, you were supposed to be on patrol today, how did you not see this?"

Frederick, who was passively standing near Morgouse, managed a shrug.

"It doesn't matter how we found out," Arthur jumped in again, "Let's finish this."

Then all at once, everyone but Merlin and Lance froze in their spots. They saw each other and stood in between the two groups.

"Does this mean they all die here?" Lance wondered aloud, mindlessly tapping some of Arthur's frozen people.

Merlin surveyed the other side of the fight. While Morgan had his arms crossed with no magic in sight, Moria had a sharp blade of magic pointing at Arthur already. "I think they just cease to exist, like last time."

Almost as soon as she said it, everyone vanished from sight, not a trace of life left behind.

"So," She checked the street to make sure nobody had seen that little episode. "I think I've had enough of Boston for now."

Lance nodded, looking a little queasy. "I've had enough of seeing everyone turn to mist."

Almost a hundred years passed before anything happened again. By that time, Merlin and Lance had traveled down the coast and into collections of small islands. Another war had started in America, but this time they were fighting themselves.

Although there was a war, neither Merlin nor Lance got anywhere near the battles.

One day, on a small island in a small coastal town, a massive ship with a red and gold sail docked without any announcement. The larger island near them had commissioned ships with silver and purple sails, so this wasn't any government deal.

Hoping for a miracle, Merlin went to check out the ship. As soon as she was near the boat, a figure jumped off the side casually, then yelled something up to her fellow crewmates.

It was Glorianna.

They were back.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The massive ship could've easily held all the people Merlin and Lance were waiting for, but, as usual, they weren't all together. The docked ship, named S.S. Excalibur, was a foreboding presence to the locals, because pirates usually meant interference from the governor, who lived on the neighboring island.

Glorianna, who had jumped first, waited patiently for her friends to jump off the ship. Merlin noticed Morgouse, Eleanor, Moria, and Frederick all jump over the ship and onto the dock. Arthur was last, and it was obvious he was the captain. His orders were overheard by most of the village.

"Alright, everyone, you know the drill" He began enthusiastically. "We are not here to plunder. Use your manners when interacting with the locals, and report back on the signal."

They all nodded in unison and dispersed.

Wanting more information, Merlin approached Frederick cautiously.

"Um, hello." She said nervously.

"Good day, madam. Can I help you?" He responded politely.

She bit her lip. "Are you guys pirates?"  
"I guess you could call us that," He chuckled. "but we're kind of like vigilantes. We give to those in need around here, and your island popped up on our captain's list."

"So who do you steal from? The Governor?" Merlin inquired. Morgan had become the governor of these little islands, and was quite intimidating.

Frederick paused, as if he were debating over what to say. "Well, yes, but this last time we took something more than that."

"What was it?"

He stepped back a bit. "I'm afraid you can't know unless you're on the crew."

Just then a medium-sized ship with purple and silver sails burst into the docks and quickly dropped anchor. Out of the boat stepped Leon, Victoria, Gwen, and finally Morgan himself. A sharp whistle emerges from a small cluster of people where Arthur was talking. Frederick shrugs at Merlin and joins his crew, who were all walking to meet the other group.

Lance appears, suddenly. "I was just talking to Eleanor. Do you know what they stole from Morgan?"

"I have no idea," She replied, her eyes glued to the scene. "but they seem pretty mad about it."

Morgan and Arthur meet in the center of an invisible chess board, each respectable group giving the two a little distance.

"Morgan," He says, almost cheery. "we meet again."

Morgan is void of all cheeriness. "Last time I saw you your ship was leaving with something that belongs to me. I want it back."

Arthur laughs a bit. "We've already given all the gold to the people. What're you gonna do, tax them more?"  
"You know what I'm talking about," He replies icily, his focus shifting from Arthur to Eleanor. "You shouldn't have left your family, dear."  
Eleanor steps up. "No blood of mine that serves you is family."

In the back, Gwen draws her sword, causing everyone else to draw their sword.

"Now hold on just one minute," Lance dashes in the middle of the showdown, causing everyone to jump back. "can't we talk this through like adults?"

He shot a small glance Merlin's way and they were on the same page. She made her way to Eleanor and gestured to the ship. "Come on. If a fight breaks out you don't want to be here."

Eleanor nodded and they both backed out of the group just as Leon declared something loudly and stepped next to Morgan. Lance then draws his sword instinctively and a scrimmage begins.

The two hop on the Excalibur, both watching the fight intently.

"Are you two…?" Eleanor points to Lance casually.

"Oh no, we're like siblings. So you left Morgan the last time Arthur and his crew were at the main island?" She replies, changing the subject quickly.

She nods. "Yeah, I worked as one of his main guards, like what those guys are. I had some relatives living there, but they were all brainwashed to believe that Morgan was a good guy. I found the crew when they were loading gold on the ship and convinced them to let me join."

"And now Morgan wants you back?"

Eleanor turns to Merlin. "Any mutiny, no matter how small, can lead to total anarchy. He doesn't want me back, he wants me dead."

Arthur and the rest of his crew arrived shortly, all peppering Lance with questions. As soon as he saw Eleanor, Arthur made a small hand gesture that ceased all chatter.

"You alright?" She merely nods. He turns to Merlin. "Thank you for helping us out. Your friend here was a huge help. We could really use you two in our crew. As a matter of fact, we have been looking for replacements, so if either of you were interested…" He trails off, shrugging slightly as though offering a position on a pirate ship was a casual thing.

The two barely shot a glance at each other. "It would be our genuine pleasure," Merlin replied for both of them. "When do we start?"  
"Right now," Morgouse steps into the conversation. "You two will need different clothes, first off. Merlin, come with me, I think I have something for you. Arthur, find something for Lance."

Morgouse led Merlin into a small room with three beds and trunks lying at the ends. She pops open the lid of the trunk to the far right to reveal an assortment of clothing, all appropriate for plundering. "This'll fit like a charm," She held up a shirt. "You're the same size she was."

"If you don't mind my asking, who are Lance and I replacing?" Merlin asks cautiously, surveying the rest of the sparse room.

She sits on the middle bed and gestures for Merlin to sit on the far right one. "It's probably the best you heard it from me, since I try not to be jaded about it. Just a few weeks ago we had two others in our crew, a boy and a girl. They were excellent at their jobs, they even had strong relationships with some of us. But unfortunately, they wanted more than what we as a whole had to offer. They attempted a mutiny against Arthur and, when he had captured them, he made the girl walk the plank."

Merlin shared a look of mild shock. "What about the boy?"

In response, Morgouse pantomimed a noose tightening around her neck. "They were like family, so don't go talking about it, okay? Some of us aren't quite over it yet. Anyway," She stood up and brushed off her pants. "You'll use that bed right there; Glorianna's here and Moria's to the far left. Eleanor and I are right next door. Frederick and K- I mean Lance, are across the hall. And Arthur's quarters are at the end of the hall. The layout's simple enough. Got it?"  
Merlin nodded, standing. "One more question, and then I'll drop the subject: Was that the first mutiny attempted on The Excalibur?"

"As far as Arthur's concerned, yeah. He got this ship from his father, and that era I know nothing about," Morgouse started for the door. "You should change into some pants or something. Skirts and dresses are great for disguise, but they're hard to fight in."

Per request, everyone met in Arthur's quarters after a quick dinner, which Frederick made (he was the only one who knew how to cook). The captain had spread papers over almost every tabletop he could find, each one filled with maps and notes in different handwriting. Merlin and Lance were looking over a map of Morgan's center of operations when Arthur cleared his throat. Everyone immediately looked at him.

"As you know," he started, pacing a small section of the room, "Morgan and his crew have declared war on us for reasons already known. I have received many threats related to turning ourselves in and giving back all we have stolen."

A general groan is let out from the chorus.

"We can't give that stuff back, it went to the people. He knows that, too!" Glorianna interjects.

"Exactly. We can't give in to his ridiculous demands, so we must fight. And tomorrow, we shall fight."

Lance unsteadily raises his hand. "But aren't we outmanned? Outweaponed? Out-everythinged?"

Arthur stops, then resumes his pacing, but with more weight in his steps. "For those of you who don't know, we recently lost two of our members to a failed mutiny. They doubted the power of our group as a whole. They thought they could do better. And they paid the ultimate price for it." He suddenly leans in closely towards Lance. "I know you're new here, so you get a story this time. But do not doubt our group, and what we can accomplish as a whole."  
Lance nods. "Forgive me, I've never belonged to a group, really." He flashed them a smile that was sure to win them over. "Merlin and I never really had families, so we were two odd people out. I guess here- here we can belong."

Everyone looks moved by his little speech. Arthur smiles a bit. "Well then, welcome to the family. Everyone's dismissed."

On her way back to the room for the evening, Merlin saw three figures in the hallway having an interesting conversation. She hid herself with magic and eavesdropped.

"All I'm saying is we should wait a little bit longer before-" Glorianna was saying.

Morgouse cut in. "If we wait too long someone will catch on. You saw what happened to-"  
"Well he was an idiot!" Moria interjected. "And the only reason she went along with it was because she loved him."

Morgouse looked at her friend with pity. "It was unrequited, Mor. You know that."

"Any emotion directed at him was unrequited. Anyway, I agree with Morgouse. We gotta do it sooner rather than later." She sounded more angry than upset.

Glorianna looked around the seemingly-empty hall. "I don't know about this, guys. It was a fun idea at first, but now-"

"What, you're gonna back out right before the big day?"

"Yeah," She began to walk away, then turned around. "Just like you did, right?"

Moria fumed into the room and slammed the door. Morgouse sighed and followed her friend.

Figuring it was safe, Merlin made herself visible and approached Glorianna.

"I heard some loud talking over here. Is everything okay?"

She sighed, looking tired. "I don't wanna hide this from you, because all the other girls know. Before I tell you, you gotta swear you won't tell Arthur, or Frederick, or even Lance, okay?"

"Uh, okay?"

Glorianna nodded. "Good. So you know about the failed mutiny that ended in some less-than-pretty executions? Well, there was supposed to be a third man in that plan. She was vital to their success, but at the last minute she backed out."

Merlin gasped quietly. "Moria was-?"

"Yeah. It was a terrible shouting match between her and the guy. You could've heard them for miles the night before. He called her a coward and she called him a power-hungry maniac. In the end, they just tried to do it without her."

"Did she tell Arthur or something?"

Glorianna laughs a bit. "She wasn't so blunt about it. But she did ensure somehow that they couldn't leave the ship effectively. I still don't know how she did it."

She nodded, already knowing exactly how she did it. "I hope everything's okay now."

"Yeah. Me too."

Merlin entered the shared room just as Morgouse left. Moria was sitting on her bed, visibly upset about something.

"You alright?" She attempted conversation.

"I know you heard what we were talking about in the hall." Moria replies without flinching.

She doesn't respond right away, trying to find the right words. "I won't stop you if it's truly what you want to do."

The girl looks Merlin directly in the eyes. "I don't want to, but I don't have a choice anymore."

The next day started quickly. The crew had made plans to surprise Morgan from an alternate route and take some more gold for the border islands. The ship started its voyage before the sun rose.

Merlin pulled Lance aside to talk. "I heard rumors of a mutiny happening soon."

"Are you going to try and stop it?" He asked, worried.

"Here's the problem: Moria knows I know," she replied, looking around to ensure nobody could hear them. "I told her I wouldn't interfere. Really, as long as Arthur's safe, why should we care?"

He made a face. "If Arthur finds out you knew about it, he'll kill you. Besides, doesn't Moria usually kill him anyway?"

"We'll just have to kill her first if she tries anything."

"Okay, but I still don't like the idea of keeping quiet."

Around midday, when Merlin was debating travel routes with Eleanor in Arthur's quarters, Frederick burst through the door. "Come quick," He panted. "We've docked, but Morgan knew we were coming. There's gonna be blood."

All three ran to the deck, where Arthur was having a shouting match with Morgan, who was on dry land.

Merlin didn't care to listen to what they were shouting about. Instead she surveyed the different people and how they were reacting. Glorianna looked preoccupied, like something more terrible was about to happen. Frederick and Eleanor were fully invested in what their captain was saying, nodding along to some manifesto he was probably reciting. Morgouse and Moria were both doing the evil smirk expression that seemed to follow them through their different lives. Lance was staring at Morgan, sword ready in case something started. As for the other side, Gwen was copying Eleanor's reaction, but mirrored so her attention was on Morgan. Leon's fingers were twitching near her sword, about as ready to fight as Lance. Victoria, however, seemed unusually distant, like she knew something nobody else did-

Suddenly, Victoria jumps on a docked ship, which looks like it had recently been updated. Morgouse and Moria follow suit, swinging across to the nearby ship with ropes.

"We really hate to disrupt your little scrimmage, really we do," Morgouse taunted. "but some of us here don't like the way you've been running things!"

Both captains stared at the three with dropped jaws. Morgan collected himself first. "Excuse me? After all the captain does for his crew, you dare leave him in a shameful manner?"  
"Well, it was supposed to be four of us." Victoria made a point of not looking at anyone.

Arthur stepped towards the mutiny boat. "What the hell are you three doing? This is no time for a mutiny!"

"But you see, it's the perfect time," Moria replied, leaning over the deck towards him. "The last idiots to try this were stupid, because they didn't go in the middle of one of your stupid arguments. God, why'd you think I bailed on them?"

He unsheathed his sword. "Young lady, get over here this instant, or I swear I will-"

But then the ship started sailing away, with all three traitors manning different controls.

"Morgan, get your men on this ship! Now!"  
Lance broke from his daze of confusion. "Arthur what the hell are you doing?"

"We need to catch those scoundrels quickly! As much as we hate to say it, Morgan and I will work better together."

Morgan, Leon, and Gwen were already aboard. "We'll pick this up later." He gestured to the dramatic scene that had been stopped.

"Alright," Arthur nodded in agreement. "Let's go, men!"

As directed, Merlin and Frederick were to go through the two girls' things to find any clues as to what they had in mind.

"Did you have any idea before-?" He trailed off as they hurried to the rooms.

She shook her head in response. She hated lying to him, but it was necessary that she didn't get beheaded.

They sifted through Morgouse's things and found nothing but a few clothing items she left behind. It was clear now they had packed last night.

Moria's trunk didn't have much either, but under her bed there was a small notebook.

"Now we're getting somewhere." Frederick grinned.

All the pages with writing were ripped out except a bit of one. The only thing that was printed on the scrap was a date.

"Does this mean anything to you?" Merlin asked.

He sighed. "That was the day the failed mutiny was executed. And look," He flipped through the rest of the blank pages. "Whatever she had to say, it was her final word on things."

Suddenly, loud shouting erupted on the deck. Merlin could hear Morgouse's voice over everyone else's.

"We've got them, come on!"

The deck had erupted into absolute chaos. Swords were clashing, barrels were rolling al around, and ropes had been cut to make the ship turn about.

For a brief moment the two just stood there, surveying the scene that was unfolding.

"How are three people causing this much trouble?" Frederick wondered aloud.

Merlin knew the answer, but she wasn't about to tell him. If he didn't have magic this time, chances were it wasn't a widely-known skill among the crews.

They each drew their swords and ran to help their crewmates. Frederick went to help Leon and Glorianna, who were battling Morgouse, while Merlin joined Lance in his skirmish with Victoria.

"About damn time you showed up! Where are the others?" He yelled, mid-fight.

She reattached some of the ropes that held the sails with a flick of her wrist. "I have no idea. Do you know where Arthur went?"

"No and I-"

Just then Victoria's sword sliced through Lance, causing him to look at the two girls in turn while they had kind of paused in midair. Merlin was in shock; she thought he couldn't get hurt due to his circumstances.

Thankfully, Gwen popped up behind Victoria and hit her over the head with the blunt end of her sword. The traitor fell to the deck, dead.

Lance also started to fall over, but Gwen caught him. "What do you need?" She looked expectantly at Merlin.

"Well, I-" Lance gave her an encouraging look. She somehow knew he'd be okay. "He's been impaled. See to that as best you can. I've got to go find Arthur."

As soon as she said those words, Glorianna called out from the far side of the ship. "The captain is dead!"

A few days have passed and for some reason, they were still here. Merlin had thought that once Arthur died, everyone else would disappear. Maybe since Lance was hurt this time, it would take a bit to start up again with wiping the slate.

Capturing the two left from the mutiny wasn't too tricky. After Arthur was killed, they seemed to give up, like that was the only reason they had mutinied in the first place. They were being held in small cells, waiting for their execution.

Which happened to be today, right after a funeral.

Morgan and his men had stayed aboard after the battle, to pay their respects and see this little mess through. Lance had miraculously recovered, and was almost back to normal.

Frederick had explained to the group that Arthur always admired ancient Vikings, and how he had told a few close crewmates that he wanted to be buried like one. So, everyone threw a torch into the small boat on which he was placed, and they all watched it burn at sea.

Then they brought out the prisoners, and let them have one last request: their form of death.

The two prisoners exchanged a look of understanding, then spoke at the same time.

"Plank."

The plank was set up, and some members of the crew rolled dice to see which one walked first.

Morgouse stepped on the thin expanse of wood, her hands bound behind her. "Any final words?" Morgan calls.

She doesn't even bother turning her head. "None you'd want to hear."

And she vanishes into the glassy abyss.

Next, Moria almost skips up to the plank, and begins walking on it. "And your last words shall be…?" Morgan waits a bit.

The girl simply turns her head, showcasing a perfect smirk. Then she's gone, lost to the waves.

Everyone breathes a collective sigh of relief just as the freeze takes over and pauses them.

Lance and Merlin locate a rowboat and get as far away from the SS Excalibur as they can.

It- hasn't actually been that long.

But it is almost the turn of the century, and industrial life couldn't be more alive.

After the whole pirate debacle, Merlin and Lance found solace in a city setting, then the countryside. It had been so peaceful, until one day-

Red and white striped tents pop up like daisies. Posters advertising the Pendragon Brothers' Circus are scattered throughout the town, with a small note at the bottom.

They're currently hiring.

The time has come.


	4. Chapter 4

******Chapter 4**

**Posing as brother and sister again, the duo decided to check out the new venus the first day it opened.**

**Most of the little town was there, enjoying themselves as they wound through the various tents. Nobody had heard of this travelling circus before, but one thing was clear: it was not like other circuses that had passed through. There was no performance schedule for the various tents that had performances, it would just start at will. Some attractions weren't even in tents, but scattered around any free space for passing entertainment.**

**Merlin and Lance approached the first performer they saw in the circus. He was throwing knives at a small target, narrowly missing passing patrons.**

**"****Excuse me," Lance began talking. "We saw your circus was hiring, and we were wondering-"**

**The performer laughed, keeping his eyes fixed on the path he was throwing. "It's not my circus by a long shot, first off. And what makes you think I'd have the power to hire?"**

**They exchanged looks, then Merlin spoke up. "Well, you'd know the guy who could."**

**He stopped, knife at the ready, and turned to face them. "You two siblings or something?" They nodded. "We have two spots open, one for performing in the magician's tent, and one for logistics. Meet me back here at closing, and I'll see what can be done."**

**They nodded again. "Thank you." Lance added.**

**"****Be sure to check out all the tents while you're here." He went back to systematically throwing his purely silver knives.**

**They walked a distance from him before Lance spoke again. "Did you recognize him at all?"**

**"****No, but I feel I should have," Something about this circus felt off. "Let's check out what everyone else is doing in this life."**

**The first tent was lofty, with thin wires and ladders hanging from the ceiling. A poster showed four familiar-looking girls, each doing some gravity-defying trick on said wires.**

**"****Acrobats. Must be on break." He speculated.**

**They popped over to the next tent: a small, dimly-lit one, where a fortune teller sat. Almost instantly they recognized Gwen sitting behind the table, speaking to a small crowd that had gathered how she could use any form of communication to talk to the spirits, read the stars, or change the outcome of that year's crop yield. While everyone else in the tent was convinced she was telling the truth, Merlin could tell it wasn't real magic.**

**There were a few other tents with entertaining concepts: a lion tamer, a girl who juggled fire on a unicycle, and a terrifyingly-bendy contortionist. There were some sideshows outside of the tents of different sorts, including a guy who had been underwater for over an hour. None of them were recognizable. It all seemed to be leading to the biggest tent there, where the air felt electric with magic.**

**The poster outside the tent boasted their group's name. ****_The Four Suits,_****it read, ****_This isn't your everyday blackjack _****was tastefully scrawled underneath it. The picture wasn't of people, but of the four Aces of a deck of playing cards, each suit clearly visible.**

**There were no chairs inside the tent, but a ring lining the space. Everyone was standing behind it, so Merlin and Lance followed the crowd.**

**Suddenly, the tent went dark, and Morgan's familiar voice rose above the crowd.**

**"****Uh-oh you guys, looks like these folks here want a show."**

**A spotlight rises quickly on the center of the circle, where he had appeared. His costume was a three-piece suit, a lot classier than expected. Come to think of it, everyone's outfits here were classier than expected.**

**"****Frederick, did we ever promise a show to these lovely people?"**

**A second spotlight goes up to the left of Morgan, where Frederick suddenly stood, dressed just as classily. "I don't recall ever saying we'd give them a show. Do we even do shows here?"**

**Morgan shrugs. "Do we?" He looks to his right, where another spotlight was emerging.**

**Moria was in the light, dressed in what looked like a ball gown. "We tell stories, gentlemen, not shows. But I daresay they deserve a story. Unfortunately, our fourth suit could not be with us today, so us three will have to tell it without her." She looked back at her two fellow performers.**

**It was all clearly scripted, but it was a good way to start a show. And it was a good show too, with authentic magic to really wow the audience. The ending of it was the best part, in Merlin's opinion: All three dissipated into differently-colored smoke, each leaving behind an Ace card. There was a club, a spade, and a diamond left. It was a shame the fourth performer couldn't make it.**

**Not one person left that tent without having applauded for a solid five minutes after the performers had left. When they had left the tent, Lance and Merlin noticed that it was about closing time. They returned to where the knife-thrower was and, sure enough, he was waiting for them while sharpening a knife.**

**"****You two ready?" They nodded. "Alright. Let's go see the boss."**

**Already the tents were packed up, the performers changed into street clothes, the air of magic slowly fading away. Merlin and Lance followed the knife thrower, who had a peculiar limp, back to one of the train cars that wasn't alive with chatter.**

**The train car had been converted into an office for the circus, everything neatly organized into a big desk where "the boss" himself sat. Arthur was dressed more like a businessman than a circus manager, but everything here was formalized anyway. He half-glanced at the three figures in the doorway.**

**"****Sir," the performer stepped forward. "These are the two I told you about."**

**Arthur rose from his chair and circled the desk to face the two patrons. "Yes, thank you Kaleb, I can take it from here."**

**The knife thrower nodded quickly and exited.**

**"****So, you two are interested in the circus business," He beckoned them further into his office, staring at them in turn. He looks directly at Lance. "You look like a logistics man if I ever saw one. How do you feel about numbers?"**

**Lance perked up at the sound of math. "I like the sense of it, sir."**

**He held up a hand. "Call me Arthur, please. He was just trying to make this little business look professional by calling me 'sir'. So that means you," His gaze switched to Merlin. "must be the magician."**

**She nodded and proceeded to give a slight demonstration. It was an impressive trick, but not not enough for anyone to think it was real magic.**

**He smiled, impressed. "You'll fit in with the other three right away. And you'll fit the costumes the other girl wore. So what, can you two start right now?"**

**The two exchanged a look of understanding, then turned back to Arthur. "We'd love to." Merlin replied for the both of them.**

**"****Good, because the train leaves in five minutes. Girl's car is two to the front, boy's is one up."**

**The car was surprisingly more roomy than expected. All the girls seemed nice enough: the acrobats seemed to section themselves off in a clique, while Gwen read some thick novel in her bed. The only other girl, Moria, was tinkering with some piece of machinery at a table in a corner. Since they had to work together, Merlin figured it would be beneficial to introduce herself.**

**As soon as she walked up, Moria started talking to her. "You the new magician?"**

**"****Yes. I'm Merlin."**

**"****Moria. So, is it real?"**

**She recoiled slightly. "Huh?"**

**"****You heard me. Your magic tricks."**

**"****Uh, yea, but that's not supposed to be public information."**

**Moria looked up from her work, smirking. "I know, I have it too. All the magicians here have it, that's why our tent's the best. A word of advice: your tent here is your group. Any significant others can join the group if desired, but you should stick to what you know. Got it?"**

**Merlin nodded. "So nobody else knows?"**

**"****There are five of us in this circus with magic, and we are the only five that know. If Arthur found out, he'd- well, I'm not sure what he'd do. We still don't know what happened to Morgouse- she was in our performance. The Ace of Hearts, or, what you'll be using. I'm diamonds, Morgan's spades, and Frederick's clubs."**

**"****Okay. Wait- who's the fifth guy with magic?"  
She inclined her head towards whatever it was she was fiddling with. "My boyfriend, the knife thrower. I've been using magic to make some enhancements on his fake leg, because he hasn't been able to work with stuff that immense since his accident."**

**Looking down at the piece of machinery, Merlin could see how the various gears and pulleys could function as a limb. Moria carefully hummed something under her breath and a wave of gold energy shot through the appendage.**

**"****If you don't mind my asking, how did he lose his leg?"**

**"****He was young, it was a hate crime, what more can we do?" She shrugged, "Before everyone goes to bed, I should probably warn you. Arthur's gonna want to meet with you tomorrow or the next day 'cause you're new. Don't worry about it, it'll be fine."**

**She made a confused face. "What does that mean?"**

**"****I've gotta run this over," Moria grabbed the machinery and headed for the door. "Don't worry, you'll be fine here."**

**The next day was filled with travelling to their next location by train, so the magicians all practiced their show in one of the compartments. Merlin had no trouble catching on, and soon it looked like they had been performing together their whole lives. **

**Frederick and Morgan were showing Merlin the whole train when suddenly Gwen appeared, in a trance-like state.**

**"****Is she okay?" She asked the two men, circling the fortune teller.**

**Morgan looked at Frederick. "It's happening again. Come on, nobody can see her like this."**

**The duo quietly moved Gwen into a nearby room, which turned out to be a storage compartment for the acrobats' props.**

**"****About a month before Morgouse was- well, a month before that, Gwen started going into these weird trances at the oddest times," Frederick explained. "We know she doesn't have magic, but we think magic is compelling her to do this."**

**Morgan had helped her sit down, and he was asking her simple questions, none of which were being responded.**

**Merlin sat next to Morgan. "Does this happen often?"**

**"****Only about once a week," He replied, worried. "She usually says something, though."**

**Suddenly, Gwen's head snapped to face Merlin directly.**

**"****The cracks of fate can show us the brightest sun," She said, her eyes aglaze. "but it can also show the harshest night. Another is slipping through the cracks, one of the nighttime. You must prevent it!"**

**Then she fell backwards, having passed out. The three were silent for a minute, then Frederick spoke up.**

**"****What the hell was that all about? She looked right at you!"**

**Morgan stood up, motioning for Frederick to help him pick up Gwen. "We better get her back to her room. Another thing," he turns to Merlin. "She doesn't remember these little outbursts, and we don't tell anyone. Only the magicians know, okay?"**

**Merlin nodded but couldn't speak for fear of what Gwen had just prophesied. If what the guys had said were true, and she was interpreting it correctly, then she had to go talk to Lance.**

**It was almost nighttime again, and the train had stopped for the evening. Merlin knocked loudly on Lance's door, then came in without waiting for a response.**

**"****Well hello," He looked up quickly from some papers. "How's circus life treatin' ya?"**

**She shook her head. "We need to talk."**

**She explained the incident with Gwen as best she could, emphasising the part where he wasn't supposed to know about it. Lance nodded along empathetically, then gave his input at the end of the story.**

**"****So I lived from an accident? The cracks of fate, or whatever they may be, somehow I eluded them in my inevitably-looping death?" He looked close to sick.**

**Merlin nodded. "I think so. I also think that it's going to happen again this time, based on what Gwen said. But, if it does happen again-"  
****"****-it won't be a friend." Lance finished.**

**"****Precisely. But so far, everyone's been nice here."**

**He winced slightly. "Well, not everyone."**

**Just then Arthur popped his head in the doorframe. "Lance, where are those papers I gave you?"**

**"****Right here." He walked over to the door and handed them to the boss.**

**Merlin stood. "I was just leaving. If you'll excuse me."**

**"****Actually," Arthur put a hand up, still looking at the papers. "I was wondering if I could meet with you in my office for a minute."**

**She looked at Lance who gave her a look laced with confusion. "Um, sure."**

**The next morning, Merlin walked in the girls' room to find everyone still getting ready. For the first time in so many years, she got to talk to the former Knights again.**

**"****So," Eleanor casually states. "How was your meeting with Arthur?"**

**She stepped back. "How did you-"**

**"****It always happens when someone joins the circus." Glorianna cut in. "So, how'd it go?"**

**"****Well, I think I've done something terrible."**

**Immediately all the girls moved in closer. "What'd you do?" Leon asked nervously.**

**She sighed. "I- I slept with Arthur."**

**The girls breathed a collective sigh of relief and went back to their tasks. Only Victoria stayed behind to explain.**

**"****It's okay, honey, we all have."**

**"****Wait, what?!"**

**She nods simply. "Yeah. It's happened to every one of us when we joined. Nobody's ever really sure how it happens, it just does. Don't fret it."**

**And then she left to finish up whatever it was she was doing, leaving Merlin in a state of confusion. "What the hell is wrong with him?!" She finally states.**

**The acrobats leave the tent quickly, and Gwen and Moria both approach Merlin cautiously.**

**"****It's kind of his way of keeping us in line," Gwen tries to explain. "if he ever makes advances on you again, it's okay to refuse, he understands."**

**She gave Gwen a look. "He'll keep asking you guys to sleep with him?"**

**"****That's not really how he does it, actually," Moria points out. "it's not obvious, and it's hard to tell what he wants. But if you're dating someone, he won't try. Arthur trusts that your boyfriend will keep you in line." She began wringing her hands nervously.**

**Merlin turns to look at the other magician. "Keep you in line? What does that even mean?"**

**Gwen backs away and leaves the room, leaving the two magicians alone.**

**Moria sighs heavily. "He doesn't mean it. None of them would ever mean it, it's just what Arthur wants." She sits on her bunk, and Merlin suddenly notices her right wrist has become about six shades darker than it normally is. "Magic can hide it well, but if I were to heal myself he'd just do it again."**

**She walks to her friend slowly, taking her wrist and inspecting it carefully. "Did Kaleb do this to you?"**

**Moria quickly pulls her hand away and stands up. "Like I said, he doesn't mean it. Anyway, nobody else can know, alright?" She closes her eyes and all signs of a sprain disappear. "Like I said, it's to keep us in line. We need to practice with the guys."**

**Merlin is left alone in the room, wondering how such a small circus can hold such terrible secrets.**

**Morgan had asked Merlin to help him move some "equipment" for when the train reaches its final destination, so the two found themselves in a small compartment.**

**"****Quick question," he began, surveying the pieces of machinery. "Do you remember some of the sideshows?"**

**She thought for a minute. "Yes, I do. I haven't seen them this whole trip. Where are they?"**

**"****They're right here." Morgan smiles, and holds out a small box. He presses a button and it transforms into the contortionist that had captivated so many. Other boxes spring to life, creating the other sideshows that made people do a double-take.**

**"****Robots?" Her voice was small.**

**"****Kind of. It combines technology and magic, creating the closest thing to life anyone has ever seen. Moria helped build them, but they're ultimately my creations." He was beaming with pride.**

**She grinned at all the robots that moved with such elegance. "Let me guess, this stays between magicians?"**

**"****You guessed correctly."**

**The circus was setting itself up for the next day when it happened.**

**Merlin was practicing with the other magicians, which was going better than ever, when Lance burst into the room with a worried look on his face.**

**"****Arthur's called a company meeting in the acrobat tent. Now." He motioned frantically or the four to join him, which they did.**

**"****What's going on?" Frederick asked, giving Moria a concerned sideways look, which she refused with a head shake.**

**Morgan looked like he was going to vomit. "The last time we had a company meeting…"**

**Lance stopped abruptly, causing the others to crash into each other. "Morgan, do you know what this is all about?"**

**The remaining three performers looked at each other with different levels of panic in their eyes. "The last time the whole company met like this," Frederick explained softly. "Our fourth member was publicly executed."**

**Merlin almost jumped out of her skin. "What?! You mean Morgouse-"**

**"****Arthur found out about her magic," Moria cut in. "The night before, he had almost broken her arm, and the next day she was fine. It was a stupid mistake and it cost her her life." She automatically looked down, her wrist returning to its sprained state of purple and blue.**

**"****So if he knows about one of you guys…" Lance trailed off when he noticed the three performers staring at him in horror and shock.**

**Merlin stepped in front of him. "It's okay, guys. He knew I had magic, and kind of figured it out from there."**

**They all breathed a sigh of relief. "We need to get to the tent." Morgan reminded everyone, and they set off again.**

**The rest of the company was already there, fidgeting nervously without any chatter whatsoever. The magicians automatically split up to gather different vantage points. Frederick stood by Gwen, who looked happy for the company, while Morgan inconspicuously stayed near the acrobats. Moria went and stood next to her boyfriend, who just gave her a suspicious look, and Merlin stayed near the back to take it all in.**

**Lance had moved to the front, where Arthur was standing impatiently. "Now that you're all here," he began in an irritated voice. "I'd like to draw attention to a little something I discovered recently."**

**Arthur throws a small metal box down in front of him. The five people with magic in the room suppressed their gasps: it was one of the robots.**

**"****Does somebody want to tell me who the hell has been using magic around here?!" He asks angrily. "Because I thought I made it very clear what type of circus- nay, family- we were when I took care of that other magic-wielding siren!"**

**Nobody dared move a muscle. The tent was so quiet one could hear a sequin flutter to the ground.**

**"****Whoever this is," Arthur scanned the crowd with an unnerving calmness. "I will find you. Everyone's dismissed."**

**The five people with magic in the circus met up outside of the tent and began walking to a safe place to talk.**

**"****He found our robots. How did he find our robots?!" Morgan was in panic.**

**Frederick began wringing his hands. "We all knew about it, so we're all accomplices. He'll string us all up."**

**"****Well, I haven't really spoken with Arthur all week, and neither has Frederick. Merlin didn't even know about them until this morning, so…" Morgan turned to his friend. "Did you somehow let the truth slip?"**

**"****What?! No!" Moria responded in defense.**

**"****She's been with me every time she wasn't with you." Kaleb put an arm around her shoulder, which caused Merlin to shoot him a dirty look.**

**"****There's always the chance he just stumbled upon them." Merlin offered.**

**"****He never goes about the storage rooms!" Morgan denied.**

**"****Well, what if he decided to today?" Moria pondered.**

**"****He doesn't care about us enough to do that." Frederick stated simply.**

**Suddenly everyone was talking over each other with worried predictions of the following days. It was then that Lance found them and quieted them down.**

**He stood before them. "Arthur wouldn't even tell me how he got this information, but somehow he knows about the magic going on here. From the robots to Kaleb's leg to the show itself, he's suddenly aware. He'll kill you all for what you've done, I know he will."**

**The group had gone silent. Nobody knew how to react to this news.**

**"****Well then, the answer's right there, isn't it?" Moria said suddenly, surprising everyone. "We kill him before he kills us."**

**Morgan audibly gasped. Frederick looked like he was going to be sick. Kaleb looked at her like the "happy" stage of their circular relationship was about to end. Lance and Merlin shared a look that said "this can't be happening again".**

**"****Come on guys," She tried to make her case. "He's been abusing us for years, now's our chance to do something about it!"**

**Morgan found his voice. "You're hardly one to talk about leaving a situation like that."**

**She looked at him like he had just stabbed her in the back. "Fine," She replied with an icy tone, her goal affirmated by her friends' rejection. "Do what you want, but that's my final solution."**

**Moria ran off. Kaleb said something that was the equivalent of "Well shit" and followed her.**

**"****Now what?" Frederick asked.**

**"****We've gotta find everyone else, we've gotta warn them." Merlin replied.**

**Morgan nodded in agreement. "I won't let Moria hurt anyone, I don't care how much she's been hurt herself."**

**Lance started for the tents, which were ready for tomorrow. "We've all but lost the sun, but we can still navigate through the circus. Come on."**

**The four decided to split up and round up everyone to formulate a plan on how to deal with Arthur. Merlin knew that it was her duty to try and keep him safe, but with all that had transpired in this circus, she wasn't so sure she wanted to this time.**

**Lance went to talk to Arthur in case he could change his mind, while Morgan decided to go fetch Gwen and make sure she wasn't having one of those weird visions. Frederick volunteered to go find the acrobats, which left Merlin with the task of convincing Moria to not kill anyone.**

**She started winding around the tents as quietly as possible, trying to find a trace of magic anywhere. Once she picked up a trail, she followed it to the side of a tent where she hid, hearing a tense conversation on the other side.**

**"****My god, can't you understand I'm doing this for you?!"**

**"****Oh,so now it's for me and not for the greater good?"**

**The first voice sighed. "What did we always say? It was so Arthur wouldn't suspect anything. That's why you can't heal yourself with magic, he'll notice! God, you're such an idiot!"**

**"****Don't- don't call me an idiot." The second voice became softer, breaking under the pressure of what the first voice was accusing.**

**"****I'll call you what I damn-well please!" The first voice was more angry than before. "Now stay here while I go handle some last-minute business."**

**Merlin hears the sound of a cracking bone and a slight whimper, then te noise of boots almost stomping away.**

**She cautiously rounds the corner of the tent to find Moria sitting on the ground, like she had been pushed, holding the previously-injured arm carefully.**

**"****Are you-"**

**Moria jumped back. "Please. Go away. I can handle this."**

**"****Not on your own," Merlin walked over to her fellow performer, kneeling next to her. "not anymore."**

**"****You mean well, but really-"**

**"****He snapped your arm," She carefully inspected Moria's arm, noticing her wrist was still sprained. "why the hell would he do that?!"**

**She sighed, then let a wave of magic fall over her broken arm. "At first it was just to convince Arthur that he had control over me. Then it really became about control, I guess." She shrugged."What can I do?"**

**"****You can get out of it, and you don't have to do it alone," Merlin added some of her magic to her friend's arm, watching the fragments of bone reassemble themselves. "you'll have Morgan, and Frederick, and Lance, and myself behind you."**

**She smiled for the first time in a while. "Thank you."**

**Just then, Kaleb rounded the corner of the tent from whence he had left. "God dammit Moria," he exclaimed, frustrated. "what did I say about magic to heal yourself? Now you know what we gotta do." He pulls out one of his throwing knives, sharp as can be.**

**Moria begins to back up, the fear of God in her eyes. "You don't have to, you know. You could treat me like an equal for once." Merlin nodded towards her in affirmation.**

**"****Excuse me? What the hell did you just say?!"**

**Her voice was smaller than usual but firm. "You heard me."**

**He laughs a little bit, then returns to his state of pure anger. "You dumb bitch, I'll kill you!"**

**Just then, Moria says something under her breath, and the knife Kaleb was holding turns and sinks into his throat. As he falls to the ground, his blood on the grass looks almost black in the moonlight.**

**Both girls are in shock of what just happened. Finally, Moria speaks up.**

**"****I just killed my boyfriend."**

**Merlin can only nod.**

**"****I didn't mean to."**

**She finds her voice. "I know you didn't."**

**"****Oh no, he's gonna know I used magic!" Moria breaks out of shock. "He's gonna kill me!"**

**She runs off, Merlin snapping out of shock and running after her.**

**Frederick, Morgan, and Lance had gathered all but Arthur in the heart of the circus. Merlin ran into their small clump.**

**"****Have you guys seen Moria recently?" She asked, breathless.**

**Lance shook his head. "Nobody's seen Arthur either. Where's-"**

**"****He's dead," Merlin interrupted. "She killed him."**

**Everyone stood around quietly, waiting for something to happen. After a few minutes, Moria pops through a small opening between two tents. She runs up to the group. "Is he here?"**

**"****No," Morgan approached her. "and as long as you're here, he won't be. I can't let you hurt him."**

**"****But- but you said he was scum, you said his revolutionary ideas were insanity!" She starts to babble.**

**"****What?!" Apparently Morgan hadn't said that… at least in this life.**

**"****I don't know if it was a dream or not, but each time we die, and each time we come back. Can't you see what's going on?" She shifted her attention to the rest of the group. "Can't any of you see what's going on?"**

**Lance shoots Merlin a sideways look.**

**Suddenly, Arthur appears from a nearby tent, and drives a metal rod into Moria's intestines.**

**"****You should've kept your mouth shut." He says with no remorse.**

**She falls to the ground, and Merlin rushes over to her. "Hey, it'll be alright. You'll get better."**

**"****I don't mind dying, Emrys," Moria says quietly, using a name she shouldn't know. "It's beautiful over there…"**

**Morgan is almost instantly at her side, covering his mouth with one hand to suppress his sobs. He stands and turns to Arthur. "This is all your fault. You couldn't even see magic when it was staring you in the face!" Morgan lifts one hand and all the tents are set on fire.**

**Everyone is in panic when the world freees.**

**Lance and Merlin survey what is about to happen. "They'll all die in the fire, there's no way out." Lance concluded.**

**Merlin nodded. "All but one, apparently"**

**"****Do you really think-"**

**"****Lance, when she wakes up, if she wakes up, she'll have remembered absolutely everything, like you did. I don't want to be around when that happens."**

**The two depart from the burning circus quickly, while in the still-frozen scenery, Moria painstakingly pulls the metal rod out.**

**After a few years, in 1912, Merlin and Lance decide to go on a luxury vacation across the ocean. Posing as brother and sister again, they happily board the Titanic with many other patrons.**

**Merlin was walking to her room when she accidentally collided with another passenger, sending both parties' things flying.**

**"****I'm so sorry." Merlin said quickly.**

**"****Oops! Let me help you with that." Morgan said at the same time.**


	5. Chapter 5

******Chapter 5**

**So, they were back.**

**It felt different this time, like some variable that had always been there before was suddenly missing.**

**Merlin and Lance figured out what it was quickly: animosity. Nobody hated each other on this boat. In fact, most of them weren't even aware of anyone else's presence. Morgan and Morgouse were traveling as siblings, and Arthur and Gwen were on their honeymoon, but everyone else was detached in their relations.**

**Everything felt off, which was not a good feeling for a luxury ship. Lance was speculating on such an idea on the second morning of the trip.**

**"****Does something feel- wrong to you?" He was combing his hair in a small mirror, paying more attention to the wall than himself.**

**"****Yes, and it's making me jumpy," she sat on the bed. "why don't they hate each other?"**

**Lance shrugged. "Beats me. I've seen some of them as other passengers, but they don't notice each other. Do they seem a little…" He trailed off, unsure how to end the question.**

**"****Distant?" She answered for him. "Yeah, they do. I haven't spoken with any of them yet except for Morgan that one time, which makes me even more uneasy. Have you seen all of them?"**

**He shakes his head. "For what it's worth, I suggest we don't get involved this time and just see how it plays out."**

**"****But Lance, it is our job to-"**

**"****Protect Arthur? How's that been working out for you so far?" He begins to sound more agitated. "Everytime they all die, and every time I start to care about them again. Maybe, just this once, we see what happens."**

**She sighs, unhappy with the suggestion. "They'll only die again."**

**"****We actually don't know that to be true. Based on how last time ended, I have a feeling things will be different this time."**

**Merlin simply shook her head. "You can stay out of it if you like, but I won't."**

**"****What do you mean? You want to re introduce yourself again?" Lance shot her a sideways glance.**

**"****Well," she began pacing, "I've been reading up on a type of magic that can manipulate relationships. If I can do it right, the gang will be together with no introductions needed."**

**He looked skeptical. "But will it work?"**

**"****It has to. It just has to."**

**There was a huge mess in a discreet closet after the spell was cast. A huge blast had sent supplies flying everywhere, but that mess was for the staff. Right now, Merlin had to go see if she had succeeded.**

**Since all the people in this game were made first-class passengers, they were lounging about in the hall, laughing around a round table.**

**Arthur, who was sitting next to Gwen, noticed her first. "Merlin, there you are!" He exclaimed, as if he had known her his whole life. "Come on, sit down a while."**

**A little shocked her trick worked, Merlin slid into the chair between Gwen and Morgan. Almost everyone was there, immersed in their own conversations. She soon found herself discussing the new fashion trends with Leon, who was now going by her first name, Reyna.**

**It was eerily nice, being able to be with everyone without them trying to kill each other constantly. But something else felt off, something more ominous and underlying.**

**"****Something's going to go terribly wrong on this boat," She thought to herself.**

**Suddenly, a second voice appeared in her mind.**

**"****Well of course something will go wrong." the voice said, "nothing ever really goes right."**

**"****Who the hell are you?" She subconsciously replied quickly.**

**The voice let out a spine-chilling laugh. "Are you so quick to forget me? The gears are already in motion, my friend, you can't stop this one."**

**Merlin was beginning to panic. "What do you mean? Tell me who you are!"**

**"****In time, all in due time. For now, call me Conscience." It responded with a quiet sense of apathy.**

**It was around this time that Arthur noticed his friend's unpleasant expression. "You okay?" He asked quietly, so not as to alarm the others.**

**"****I'm fine," She answered quickly. "just tired. I think I'll go to bed."**

**She made her exit swiftly. She needed to talk to Lance, whether he wanted to be involved or not.**

**"****So your little party trick worked, but then you started hearing voices?" Lance quickly recapped back in the room.**

**She nodded. "But it was only one voice, and they said I knew them already."**

**He massaged his temples, trying to concentrate. "Who do we know that could do that?"**

**"****I'd automatically count out anyone who doesn't have magic," Merlin replied almost immediately. "so that counts out a huge chunk of people."**

**Lance smirked. "Do you think it's Morgan?"**

**"****It didn't sound like him, and I don't see why he wouldn't have just told me upfront if it was him."**

**They sat in silence, pondering the issue for a minute.**

**"****Merlin," Lance said suddenly. "have you seen Moria since she was impaled at that circus?"**

**She thought for a split second, then looked at her friend sharply. "I haven't. Have you?"**

**"****No. It's like she's not on this boat. Could-"**

**All of a sudden, a loud knock sounded on their room's door.**

**The duo glanced at each other, wondering what someone would want with them in the dead of night, and approached the door with a bucket of apprehension.**

**Lance carefully opens the door to reveal a familiar-looking girl in simple clothes and her signature smirk.**

**"****Speak of the devil and he shall appear, right?" Moria laughed to herself, ignoring the other two's look of surprise. "Come on. We gotta go."**

**Despite their better judgement, Merlin and Lance followed Moria to a deck that had two lifeboats sitting out. The sea was calm and the boat felt abandoned.**

**"****What...how..." Lance tried to ask.**

**"****Word of advice: never sew up your own intestines. The infections that come with it really hurt," she shook her head. "and don't set your own bones. Especially in the arm."**

**Merlin stepped forward. "Why weren't you with everyone else?"**

**The girl shrugged. "I wanted to know what was wrong with the ship. It feels weird, doesn't it?"**

**The duo nodded. "But I found something," Moria continued. "or, something found me. Bottom line is, this ship's sinking tomorrow. I was told to get you two out, so here we are."**

**Lance found his silver tongue again. "That's great and all, but what exactly found you?"**

**She looked out to the sea, as if the answer were deep under folds of foam and inky waters. "He's called The Conscience, and he knows all. That's why your self-insertion trick worked, isn't it?"**

**Merlin stepped back. "How did you-"**

**"****So you can hear him? He has great plans if we will comply." She looked almost excited. She hadn't looked excited since the Middle Ages.**

**"****No."**

**Both Lance and Moria look at Merlin with confused expressions. "What do you mean 'no'?" He asked.**

**"'****We' will not be doing anything of the sort. There is no 'we' in this situation. Ever."**

**"What the hell do you mean?" Lance sounded irrationally angry. "This voice you two are hearing could give us answers we've been looking for since the Tudors!"**

**She stopped herself from laughing. "Lance, I'm not working with her. She's a killer!"**

**"So are you." Moria cut in. **

**"It's different. I'm a good guy, you're a bad guy, and there's no way we'll ever be on the same side."**

**An uneasy silence settled around the three people. Finally, Moria broke the tension.**

**"Something he told me," she started with a quiet tone. "Something you might want to know. This ship's hitting an iceberg tomorrow, and everyone's going to die again. You two have a lifeboat, and I have mine. We don't have to keep contact for a long time."**

**Lance nodded for the two of them. "Thank you."**

**"One more thing," she stopped them suddenly. "You might want to stay in the States for a while."**

**Merlin found a way to speak without strangling the other girl. "And why is that?"**

**"Just... Just stay in the US for a while. It's going to get bloody."**

**And with that, she disappeared, taking the second boat with her. **

**"Well," Lance sighed. "This marks the second time we've left everybody to die on the open sea. Shall we?"**

**The War to End All Wars was terrifying to experience, even away from the action. The Conscience had yet to make a reappearance, which was peaceful yet unsettling. **

**Finally, after one of the worst decades in American history, Merlin and Lance found everyone again at a high school in a small town. **

**Little did they know that the War to End All Wars was about to face a horrifying sequel. **


End file.
